Mark Jackson GS Warriors New Coach: 5 Reasons He's The Right Man for the Job
If anyone was still confusing the current Golden State Warriors’ regime with the prior, those confusions likely stopped with the announcement that current TV analyst, and former NBA point guard, Mark Jackson will be the club’s next head coach.
Jackson’s hiring continues with the Warriors offseason theme of brazen, unconventional moves by new owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber. First came the hiring of assistant general manager, and former player agent, Bob Myers. Next, the club added the logo, Jerry West, as a consultant.
Jackson certainly does not come without risks, but that has not bothered Lacob in any of his previous moves. Jackson has not coached a single game in his career and the Warriors certainly had options to hire a more conventional replacement for Keith Smart—Houston’s Rick Adelman, Dallas assistant Dwayne Casey and San Antonio assistant Mike Budenholzer all have coaching experience.
But for Lacob, and a large segment of the club’s fanbase, Jackson separated himself from the club with his demeanor, his winning attitude and his passion and knowledge for the game of basketball.
For those reasons, and the following five, Jackson’s hiring is just another reason to be excited about this team’s bright future.
1. He Can Relate to His Players
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The quick explanation of his relation to these players is that, not long ago, Jackson was one of them. In fact, if the Warriors were not one of the league’s youngest teams, he might have even played with a few of them.
Jackson’s 17-year career, which included a Rookie of the Year Award, an All-Star appearance and the third most assists in league history, stretched to 2004.
Jackson understands the mindset, opportunities and demands on today’s athletes better than any other coaching candidate the Warriors interviewed.
And that relation should be mutual, as Warriors players have had the chance to watch and listen to Jackson’s countless broadcasts during his time in the broadcast booth.
His wealth of knowledge of the game is evident in any game he calls, and his no-nonsense attitude should be expected by his new players.
2. His Playing Days, Personality and Visibility Command Respect
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While Jackson has yet to lead a team from the sideline, he enjoyed a long leadership run on the court.
He never wavered when it came time to get in the ear of his teammates, whether that was the last man on the bench or Reggie Miller.
His dynamic personality combined with his knowledge of the finer details of the sport could command respect alone. But it’s experience on winning teams—though a championship ring escaped him, his teams did make the postseason 14 times—that should resonate with this club that thirsts for postseason success.
And, perhaps most importantly for the Warriors, he should instantly command the respect of this club’s best players, his dynamic backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis. Any coach that can reach his team’s superstars has an advantage on half of the coaches in this league.
3. He's Been Getting Paid to Scout His Opponents
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Any team that has raided the D-League the way that the Warriors have understands the importance of great scouting.
But just as important as prospect scouting is to a team’s success is a team’s NBA scouts. And who better to lead these scouts than a man who was paid to watch and analyze these players on a nightly basis.
Beyond his playing days, his TV career gave him the unique opportunity to watch great basketball teams on a nightly basis.
He understands what it takes to build a winner—as do Lacob and West—but he also understands what these team’s weaknesses are.
While his coaching peers will spend hours digesting scouting reports from their staff, Jackson will enjoy having a wide range of personal knowledge to draw from when needing to diagram offensive plays or defensive sets in crunch time.
4. His Experience Can Further Develop the Team's Superstars
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Much like a catcher in baseball or a quarterback in football, a point guard is an extension of its coach. And Jackson was able to learn under some of the greatest basketball minds in recent years: Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan, Pat Riley and Larry Brown.
If Jackson remembers just a portion of what those coaches shared with him he could bring a wealth of knowledge to the Warriors. If he remembers a majority of those coaches’ words, well, he could go down as an all-time great.
Listen to a Jackson broadcast—and hurry because there are not many left—and his knowledge of the game is evident. Weed through his many catchphrases—both entertaining and, almost certainly, encouraged by ESPN to add color to his broadcasts—and it’s obvious that the Warriors are in great hands.
And it’s that knowledge and experience that should have Ellis and Curry on the phone with Jackson now, excited to soak up all the information that he has to share. Remember, Curry is not a natural point guard. It’s hard to think of a better teacher for already one of the league’s most talented point guards.
5. He Could Coach This Team for Twenty Years
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While the club’s slow-paced search for its next coach may have frustrated fans, it allowed Lacob and company to take as much time as needed to identify their guy.
Give the front office credit for doing its due diligence in this search. Plenty of candidates emerged and were contacted, but only one could be given the job.
And in Lacob’s mind—for the reasons on this list and more—Jackson emerged above the rest.
He’s 46 years young, exactly the type of coach Lacob sought and someone who could man the sideline for the next 10-plus seasons.
He has an exciting, dynamic personality that can light up a room, or a broadcast.
But sometimes these decisions come down to a gut instinct, and whatever that “it” might be, Lacob thinks Jackson has it.
This is certainly a leap of faith for this organization. But when the club has made just one playoff run since 1994, maybe it’s time to start thinking outside the box.
